The sudden departure of a renown defense attorney has complicated a murder case that has a link to Nick Reiner, a son to Rob and Michele Reiner, as prosecutors charge a senseless double murder, while another party insists that Reiner is innocent, keeping everything in limbo between court trials and hearsay. He faces charges of first degree murder from the Los Angeles County District Attorney. Although he has not yet pleaded with the charges against him, the trial is proceeding. One of Reiner’s former defense attorneys claims Reiner is innocent.
Who is Alan Jackson?
Alan Jackson is an experienced criminal defense attorney with extensive knowledge garnered from his years of dealing with challenging cases in Los Angeles. He was a senior prosecutor at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office for several years before he set up his private law firm. Given his background as an attorney on both sides, Alan has earned respect as one of the most distinguished attorneys in Los Angeles, particularly when it comes to serious crimes or cases involving the media.
Abrupt Exit Raises Legal Curiosity
Alan Jackson distanced himself from the case, without a specific reason only that it was unethical and unlawful for him to proceed. Withholding from a case is a rare phenomenon in major criminal disputes and only happens less than 5% of the time in felony cases, according to research on ethics for lawyers. It was made clear that it was impossible for him to represent Reiner, with factors that were out of his and Reiner’s control.
Assertion of Innocence Amid Murder Charges
Even though he stepped away, Jackson made one thing clear: he believes Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder according to California law. That contradicts the two counts of first-degree murder filed by prosecutors in Los Angeles County. First-degree murder convictions happen in California at the rate of about 70% of the time, which brings into context how severe the charges Reiner faces are.
What is the Case Timeline & Court Proceedings
Nick Reiner was arrested on December 14 after investigators found his parents dead at their Brentwood residence, a neighbourhood more associated with wealth than violence. The murder rate in Los Angeles County is only 6 per 100,000 inhabitants per year. Reiner appeared in court briefly, waived his right to a reading of the charges pending a change of counsel, and his arraignment was rescheduled to February 23.
Public Attention Versus Due Process
It seems that serious crimes generate a lot of publicity in the media and specific details surrounding a crime tend to blend with rumors and further tidbits of information. Studies show that publicity before a trial tends to influence popular perception of a case even before trial evidence is evaluated in a courtroom setting. Jackson understood that media frenzy was great but chose to let the legal process get to the truth. The Reiners chose not to speak out in this case.
